1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an objective lens drive/ support device in, for example, an optical disc player system.
2. Description of the Prior Art In an optical disc player system such as a compact disc player or a video disc player, a laser beam is applied from a semiconductor laser to a recording disc via an objective lens for reproduction purposes. The laser beam must be focused on a chain of pits formed on the recording disc, and the beam spot must be accurately positioned on the chain of pits in order to ensure a stable reproduction operation. That is, the objective lens should be driven in two-dimensional directions to conduct the focusing control and the tracking control.
In such an objective lens drive/support mechanism, a damping member is required to ensure a smooth movement of the objective lens. If a single damping member performs the damping operation in the two-dimensional directions, a reproduction head will become compact in size.
In the conventional system which has a damping member performing the two-dimensional damping operation, undesirable movement is produced because the damping member is secured to an objective lens support mechanism at one side thereof.